Belltech Front and Rear Drop Kit - Altitude Sickness

Getting Down to Business With Belltech

Sometimes when something works just fine, it still isn't good enough. Take a stock suspension for instance. For most people, the stock suspension is great, but if you want a truck with a performance attitude, you have to change it up. That is just what we did with our 2013 Ford F-150 FX2. We wanted to make it suitable for our THROWDOWN performance truck series, so some changes were in order.

We began by calling Belltech and ordering their adjustable front drop and 5½-inch rear drop kit (PN: 972SP, $737.75). This will allow us to adjust the front height to exactly where we need it from 1-inch of lift all the way to 3 inches of drop. To complement the lowered look of the truck, Bravado Performance Wheels was sourced for a set of their 22-inch Axe truck/SUV wheels. Known for their performance car wheels, Bravado took a stab at the truck market and delivered a really good-looking design. Finally, a quick call to Discount Tire Direct was all it took to order a set of 285/40R22 Nitto NT420S tires. These will ensure thousands of miles of hard use and plenty of traction. With the parts in hand, we rolled the truck into our Irvine Tech Center and got to work transforming this F-150 into a corner-carving beast.

1. Before we started the install, the 2013 F-150 was 100-percent stock and ready for a makeover.

1. Before we started the install, the 2013 F-150 was 100-percent stock and ready for a mak

2. We immediately got the truck onto the lift and pulled off the wheels and tires. The teardown began with unbolting the sway bar endlinks and loosening the upper control arm bolts.

2. We immediately got the truck onto the lift and pulled off the wheels and tires. The tea

3. Next, we removed the three 15mm nuts on top of the strut, and the large 21mm bolt holding the bottom of the strut to the lower control arm. This freed the whole unit and allowed us to drop it from the vehicle.

3. Next, we removed the three 15mm nuts on top of the strut, and the large 21mm bolt holdi

4. The new replacement struts from Belltech are adjustable in 1-inch increments from 1 inch of lift to 3 inches of drop. For this application, we chose the full 3-inch drop for maximum lowering.

4. The new replacement struts from Belltech are adjustable in 1-inch increments from 1 inc

5. To get started, we made the short trip to Stillen so we could use their spring compressor. Once we compressed the spring, we removed the factory strut and installed the Belltech unit with the least number of spacers to get the biggest amount of drop.

5. To get started, we made the short trip to Stillen so we could use their spring compress

6. With everything put together, the assembled strut/coil spring went right back into the truck using the factory hardware.

6. With everything put together, the assembled strut/coil spring went right back into the

7. Out back, the first step was to remove the factory shocks and toss them into the trash heap.

7. Out back, the first step was to remove the factory shocks and toss them into the trash

8. Next, the axle was unbolted from the leaf packs and we lowered the axle slightly with screw jacks supporting it.

8. Next, the axle was unbolted from the leaf packs and we lowered the axle slightly with s

9. With the axle freed and safely supported, the leaf springs could be unbolted from the truck.

9. With the axle freed and safely supported, the leaf springs could be unbolted from the t

10. One thing to note is that on these trucks, the gas tank blocks the removal of the driver-side leaf spring bolt. To remedy this, Belltech included a new bolt in the kit, so the old one could be cut off and discarded. This made for a much easier and quicker install. Solid customer service like this is one reason why we like using Belltech products.

10. One thing to note is that on these trucks, the gas tank blocks the removal of the driv

11. The new rear suspension is an axle flip kit and includes all of the necessary hardware along with new Street Performance shocks for performance handling and a comfortable ride.

11. The new rear suspension is an axle flip kit and includes all of the necessary hardware

12. To make room for the axle to fit on top of the leaf pack, these bolts had to be removed, flipped over, and bolted back together.

12. To make room for the axle to fit on top of the leaf pack, these bolts had to be remove

13. After the bolts were torqued back to factory specs, we reinstalled the leaf springs into the truck.

13. After the bolts were torqued back to factory specs, we reinstalled the leaf springs in

14. The next step required an extra set of hands to lift the axle up and over the leaf springs and into the axle perch. We then cranked down the new U-bolts to the proper torque spec.

14. The next step required an extra set of hands to lift the axle up and over the leaf spr

15. With less room than before, new, shorter bumpstops were included and installed.

16. After installing the kit, the pinion angle would be incorrect. As a solution, Belltech advises that the carrier bearing be unbolted, the mounting plate be cut off, and new holes be drilled. Then the carrier bearing can be bolted back to the underside of the bed. This fixes any would-be pinion angle issues.

16. After installing the kit, the pinion angle would be incorrect. As a solution, Belltech

17. As you can see there was a little rake to the truck. To fix that, we added an extra 1-inch spacer to the front strut, which brought the truck to a leveled stance.

17. As you can see there was a little rake to the truck. To fix that, we added an extra 1-

18. To set off the new looks and performance of the F-150, we bolted on these 22-inch Bravado Axe wheels wrapped in Nitto NT420S tires, in size 285/40R22. This combination offers the right amount of flash and performance.

18. To set off the new looks and performance of the F-150, we bolted on these 22-inch Brav